Tower for suspended railways



Nov. 17,1925. 1,561,841

| A. FRYE TQWER FOR SUSPENDED RAILWAYS Filed March 5, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17 192$ 1,561,841 L. A. FRYE TOWER FdR SUSPENDEDRAILWAYS Filed Maid; 5, 9 2 sh ets-sheaf z Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE. j

LEWIS A. FRYE, 011: LOS AIFGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOWER FOB SUSPENDED RAILWAYS.

Application filed Karch 5, 1924. Serial no. 697,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. FRYE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Towers forSuspended Railways, of which the following is a detailed specification.

This invention relates to towers for Suspended railways and while thestructure embodying my invention may be advantageously used in many andvarious situations, it is especially well suited to the purpose ofsupporting girders or rails used in connection with suspended orelevated railways. In order to more definitely describe the invention, Ihave chosen to illustrate it in connection with a particular type ofrailway, namely, a suspended mono-railway,

but this is not to be construed as a limitation on the invention.

In the usual suspended mono-rail sys tom, the load is normally carriedbeneath and in vertical alinement with the traction rail, :1 goose-neckhanger usually serving to connect the load with a truck or trucks ridingon the rail. Therefore, in order to provide the necessary clearance forthe load and goose-neck, the traction rail and its underlying girdersmust be supported from one side only. To comply with this requirement, asupporting. tower must have its column set out of vertical alinementwith the rail girders, while cantilever beams extend from the column toprovide the necessary girder support.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a tower of thegeneral nature de' scribed above, which will be of minimum weight,occupy a minimum of space and yet have the requisite rigidity andstrength. I have devised novel means for fixing the contilever beamagainst vertical rotation about its point of support on the column,

this means generally consisting ofa ten-.

ricated from standard material and may be quicklyand easily erectedinthe field.

I have also combined certain of the struc- I quent starting and stoppingof trains are reduced to aminimum, and I therefore prefer to use awooden tower column having a desirable degree of strength andflexibility and usually easily procu'rable in the field. Inthisconnection, I have devised certain novel joints for uniting the metaland wooden elements of the tower to secure a proper bond between them.

Other objects and features of novelty will be set out in the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a. tower showmg a loading platform inconnection therewith, and also showing a mono-rail car supported on anassociated U-rail.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing onemethod of supporting a loading platform from certain elements of thetower, proper.

Fig. 3vis an enlarged section on line 33 of Fig. ,1. v v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 5 is' a top plan view of'a column cap which is shown in sectionin Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the column footing and shoe, asviewed from i the portion of arrow 6'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 77 of Fig. 6. 1

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing details of the connection betweenthe tower column and cantilever, parts being shown in broken awaysection.

In the following specification I first generally describe the mainelements of the tower and point outtheirfunction and coaction, leavingthe details of structural form and connecting elements to be treatedlater. Column 10, preferably of wood, having a shoe generally indicatedat 11, rests on foot top of column 10 and serves as a bearing plate forthe cantilever beam 17 which is preferably an I-beam provided withstiffening braces or angles 18 between its flanges. Straps 19 are boltedto column 10 at 20 and thus extend upwardly and in- \var'dly to meetopposite sides of beam web 21 to which they are riveted at 22 (see Figs.3 and 4.), thus serving to hold the beams to the column and as bracesfor the beam. Angles 23 form a connection between the end of beam17 andgirder 24 which supports the U or traction rail 25. A car 26 issuspended by hanger 27 from truck 28, this showing of truck and carbeing made merely to illustrate the disposition of load on the columnand not as a part of the in.- vention. It will be understood that railmay be used for supporting loads other than cars. For instance, it maybe used in conncction with suspended, traveling cranes, etc.

Gantilever 17 has a portion 17 extending from the column on the sideopposite to that carrying girder 24, and a T-iron tension member 29 issecured to the end of extension 17" at 30 and thence inclines downwardlyand inwardly towards the base of the tower, being secured by spliceplates 31 to post 32 which extends downwardly through footing 12 and isclanmed at 33 to the transversely arranged rail or anchor 34,'comnionlyknown as a dead-man, and which is embedded in a lateral extension offooting 12. It will be noted that the point at which member or element29 is anchored, lies within footing 12 and approximately in verticalalinement with the longitudinal axis of column 10. Therefore, in laterdiscussion, element 29 may be considered as being anchored at the baseof the column.

A strut 35, preferably made up of I- beams 36, cover plates 37 andextension plates 38 and 39, is secured at one end to column 10 by angles40 and is bolted at 41. to tension members 29.

Corner or knee braces 42 serve to rein force the structure againstrelative movement between column 10 and beam 17, and H se braces arepreferably made up and secured as follows: Gusset plates 43 haveoutlining angle iron reinforcements 44, 45 and 49, each riveted to itsrespective gussetplate. The horizontal leg of each angle describe it indetail.

iron 45 is riveted to the lower flange of beam 17 at 47, while thevertical angle irons 44 are secured to the column by lag screws 48 (seeFig. 9).

An angle iron brace 49 is secured to the tower at approximately thepoint of junc tion between beam 17 and column 10, preferably by bolts 50through inner knee brace 42, and hence extends downwardly and outwardly, beingsecured at its lower end to inclined post 51 by spliceplates Post 51, in turn is clamped at-53 to anchor 34. Brace 49preferably crosses member-29 at strut 35 and is secured to member andstrut' by bolts 41.

Extending laterally from and secured to column 10 by angles 54, is beamwhile secured to struts by angles 56 is beamj57, these two beams servingas a support for platform 58 which is thus maintained at a height toenable car 26 to be loaded or unloaded therefrom. Stairways 59 and 60lead from the ground to platform 58 and are supported by posts 61 andplatform 58.

Now, the imposition of load 26 on the free end of cantilever 17, exertsa compressive force on column 10 and, by reason of the o fi centerposition of the load with respect to the longitudinal axis of thecolumn, also tends to rotate the beam in a counterclockwise direction,as viewed in Fig. 1, giving the column a tendency towards lateral fieX-ure, compressing the fibers at the left of the neutral axis, and placingthe fibers at the right of the neutral axis under tension. Member 29,however, is placed under tension and has the effect of counter-balancingthe load on the cantilever to transform the stress on the column intodirect vertical thrust, which the column is best able to withstand. Atthe same time, considering beam extension 17 as a strut, member 29 hasthe effect of a truss rod. bracing the beam against flexure.

Brace 49 acts as a wind brace and counteracts the tendency of the columnand tower proper to rotate vertically about the column base when a loadis placed on the end of the cantilever. Furthermore, that portion ofbrace 49 which extends from knee brace 42 i to strut 35, combines withthe strut and that portion of member 29 which extends from strut 35 tothe base of the column to form a vertical truss for the column and thusstiffen it against a fleXure.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 I have illustrated a preferred form of column shoeand will now To bed plate 62 are riveted the opposed angle irons 63,with their vertical legs 64 spaced apart to receive the base of column10 between them, the end'of the column resting on the bed plate. Tocomplete the column socket, vertical side platestiri are held to the bedplate by angles 66 riveted to bed and side plates. Bolts 67 apertures inbed plates and flanges, nuts 14- being threaded on the anchor bolts andinto engagement with the tops of flanges 71'to hold the shoe and columnto the footing. Channels 72 serve as stiffening spacers between bedplate 62 and flanges 71, and, preferably, the channels are so locatedthat the anchor bolts extend upwardly between the channel flanges. Inthis way, structural reinforcement between the bed plate and-shoeflanges is accomplished at the point of greater stress, namely, wherecompressive effort is exerted by threading nuts 14 on the plate flangesto draw the shoe firmly down to the footing.

' While I have shown and described-apret'erred embodiment of myinvention, various changes in structure and design may be made withoutdeparting from'the spirit" of my invention, and therefore I do not wishi to be limited to the structural details shown and described except forsuch limitations as a fair interpretation of the claims may imort. 7 1Having described a preferred form of my inventionIclaim: f

1. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a Vertical columnanchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top. of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the cantilever extension and extendingdownwardly and inwardly towards the base of the column, and means foranchoring the tension member.

2. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical columnanchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the cantilever extension and extendingdownwardly and inwardly towards the base of the column, and means foranchoring the tension member at a point substantially in alignment withthe longitudinal axis of the column.

3. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a footing, avertical column anchored to the footing, a cantilever supported by thetop of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of sup- 5)ort on the column a tension member se- 1. A tower structure forsuspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, "acantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositelybeyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured tothe cantilever extension. at a point laterallyspaced from the column andthence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base, meansfor anchoring the tension member at thebase ofthe column and ahorizontal strut carried by the column between its baseandthecantilever, said strut extending towards and being secured to thetension member.

, A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical columnanchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterallySPQCGd'fIOIIl the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base,means for anchoring the tension member at thebase of the column, a

.brace joined to the structure nearthe junction of the column and beamand thence extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the baseof the column, and means for anchoring the brace at its lowerextremity.-

6. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical columnanchored-at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterallyspaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base, means for anchoring the tension member at thebase of the column, a brace joined to the structure near the junction ofthe column and beam and thence extending downwardly and outwardly withrespect to the base of the column, and means for anchoring the brace atits lower extremity, the tension member and brace crossing each otherand being secured together at their point of crossing.

7. A tower structure for suspended rail ways, embodying a verticalcolumn anchored 41 L nen-s41 means for anchoring the tension member atthe base of the column, a brace joined to the structure near thejunction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly andoutwardly with respect to the base of the column, means for anchoringthe brace at its lower extremity, the tension member and brace crossingeach other and being secured together at their point of crossing, ahorizontal strut secured to the column and extending to the crossingpoint at the tension member and brace, and means for uniting the strut,tension member and brace at said point of crossing.

8. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical columnanchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the antilever extension at a point laterallyspaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base, a brace joined to the structure near thejunction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly andoutwardly with respect to the base of the column, the tension member andbrace crossing each other and being secured together at their oint ofcrossing, an anchor, and means for attaching the lower extremities oithe tension member and brace to the anchor at laterally spaced points.

9. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical columnanchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the columnand extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, atension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterallyspaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base,

means for anchoring the tension member at the base of the column, ahorizontal strut carried by the column between its base and thecantilever, said strut extending towards and being secured to thetension member, and platform supporting members carried by the beam andstrut.

10. In a structure 01 the character described, means for uniting 'acolumn and a horizontal Ibeam on top thereof, said means comprising"plates secured to the sides of the column and extending upwardly and:inwardly from the top of the column to meet the opposite sides of the Ibeam web, and

means for securing the plates to the web at their points of meeting.

11. In a structure of the character described, means for uniting :acolumn and a horizontal I beam on top thereof, said means comprisingplates secured to the sides of the column and extending upwardly andinwardly from the top of the column to meet the opposite sides of the Ibeam web, means for securing the plates to the web at their points ofmeeting, and knee braces in the meeting angles between the column andbeam.

12. In a structure of the character described, a looting of concrete, acolumn shoe including a bed plate adapted to rest on the footing,lateral flanges on the shoe spaced above the bed plate, verticallychanneled spacers between the plate and flanges, and anchor boltsembedded in the concrete and extending upwardly through the bed plate,thence extending vertically through the channels in the spacers and thenthrough the lateral flanges.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 22nd day of December, 1923.

LEWIS A. FRYE;

